Evaluating the Impact of Academic Standing Letters on the Experience and Retention of Students

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Primary Investigator: Tim Fricker, Dean of Students, Mohawk College

Most colleges and universities have processes to identify and support students who are struggling academically. At many colleges these processes include formally notifying students who have not been meeting academic benchmarks that they have been placed on academic probation. While this academic standing is meant to help get students back on track, little research exists on how students experience probation and how effective different approaches are in helping students return to good academic standing. Throughout the course of this project, Mohawk College will customize, implement and evaluate psychologically-attuned academic standing letters, before measuring the effects of the revised letters on academic standing for two reasons: a) to determine whether these attuned letters can affect students' academic success; and b) if effects are found, it will help prove that how schools communicate with students during times of difficulty can powerfully drive students' responses.​​

Materials and Outcomes

Throughout the course of this project, updates and final reports will be posted here.​​​​​​